NCAA women: Miami-Idaho State overview
Region: Kingston (R.I.)
Coach: Katie Meier
Record: 25-5
Top scorer: Shenise Johnson, 16.8
Top rebounder: Johnson, 7.9
Keys to victory: Pressure, sharing the ball and using athleticism and size are critical for the Hurricanes. Miami plays in-your-face defense. The Hurricanes try to accomplish this in many ways – from all-over-the-court defense to half-court sets. Opponents have averaged 22.2 turnovers per game. The Hurricanes average 13.7 assists per game.
Miami will have a decisive advantage over Idaho State in size and athleticism. For the second time this season, Miami has lost a starter. Senior guard Riquna Williams, a John Wooden Award finalist, didn’t make the trip to Spokane because of conduct detrimental to the team. Sophomore Krystal Saunders will step into the starting lineup, Meier said.
Region: Kingston (R.I.)
Coach: Seton Sobolewski
Record: 24-7
Top scorer: Chelsea Pickering, 12.1
Top rebounder: Cydney Horton, 7.0
Keys to victory: Limiting turnovers, balanced scoring and defense. The Bengals have averaged 16.3 turnovers per game but are prone to 20 or more at times. They know they’ll face pressure unlike any other they’ve faced this season.
To counter it, ISU must keep things simple and make intelligent decisions. ISU is at its best when balanced on offense. Four of five starters average between 12.1 and 10.9 points per game.
ISU plays a sagging defense that Miami says it hasn’t seen this year. ISU has allowed 56.3 points per game while averaging 62.9. A high-scoring game would not behoove ISU.